waves
by Cerulean Musings
Summary: Erica was rescued from the bank vault. Her reason to hold on, however, wasn't so lucky.


_**Waves**_

Erica lay against Derek's chest, fighting to keep her eyes open. His grip around her, so sure, kept her head up. But, oh, was she tired. Her lips lips, so dry and chapped, looked as if they were pieces of confetti, scrunched up and about to tear. Any effort to wet them only had her recoiling in pain. Not that she would notice; her body had been wracked with pain for days. Or months. Or however long they were gone. Her healing abilities just couldn't keep up after her attack on Kali.

But she needed to try. Needed to try and save Boyd. Needed to try and save herself. Needed to try and get out. And she failed. A lone tear slipped out the corner of her squinted eye. She was supposed to be better, stronger, faster, enhanced, _transformed_. How could she still have failed?

"Derek," Erica muttered.

"It's okay. It's…it's gonna be okay," Derek replied. His voice was gruffer than she remembered. She tilted her head back in an effort to look up at him but pain burst once more, blooming like a flower graced by rays of sun. She groaned and shifted back.

Her eyes bounced around the halls of the bank that Derek took her down. She didn't remember any of it. Only remembered waking up in the vault with Boyd. Sweet Boyd, always there to for her. Shielding her from the arrows of Allison's attack, slowing the Alpha's down when they were surrounded. But after that? Blank. Except for the pops of pain when she turned her neck, curled her fingers, blinked her eyes.

They passed by a room and, all at once, Erica's pain subsided. Like a gentle wave caressing the sand on a beach, peace took over and her heavy lidded eyes buoyed open. Her eyebrows crinkled. _Wait._ She knew that feeling.

"Erica…" her eyes shifted to his face. He stared back at her, pain and…something reflected in his eyes. Concern? Regret? And then she it hit her. _Sorrow_.

"Take…take…" her order was stuttered by her dry, hacking coughs from not having spoken for…who knows how long. "Take me back!" she choked out. "To…to that room! Derek! You have to…"

"Erica—"

"_Please!"_

With a world-weary sigh, Derek turned on his heel and did as he was told. Erica didn't miss that he tried to carry her into the room in a way that she couldn't see what was in it so she turned her head…and immediately buried it back into his shoulder. Because she didn't just see that.

She didn't see Mellie, _her Mellie_, lying on the floor, a hand clutching her side where a large gash had torn into her like wet newspaper.

The metallic scent smacked into Erica a second later and immediately brought a rush of tears to her eyes. "Put me down," she ordered.

Derek obliged, something rumbling in his chest before dying out. A protest? Agreement? Erica didn't know nor did she care, she just needed to get closer. Needed to check. Her abilities were weak but she heard something. She just knew it.

The cold clinging to the stone floor seeped in through Erica's clothes, chilling her bones when Derek set her down. She rolled over and let out a shuttering breath as she managed to hold herself up on her elbows and peer down into Mellie's face. So still, so pale, so peaceful. Her lips barely parted into the tiniest of smiles but Erica saw it.

"Mellie…?" Erica reached out and stroked her girlfriend's face—ex-girlfriend?—and gritted her teeth. "Mellie!" she tried again, cupping her cheek, running a thumb over the girl's bottom lip.

Erica's chest heaved, her greedy gasps of air allowed spittle to spray the dusty floor. It soaked up the moisture. _No, no, no!_ Sliding on her stomach across the floor, Erica pulled herself up until she half laid on top of Melanie, peering down at her, searching…

"Come on, come on." Her hand slipped down to where Melanie's held her side, a grip once so tight Erica was sure now merely laid across the open wound. The blood, warm and sticky, coated Erica's fingers as she grasped Melanie's hand in her own, applying as much pressure as her weak body could dole out. "Mel…please! You came back for me! After what I did…I can't…I can't believe…"

Erica swallowed the lump rising in her throat and dropped her head, her forehead resting on Melanie's collarbone as images flashed through her mind like a flipbook. Fluttering by, she and Erica meeting for the first time, riding their bikes up and down the street, camping in the back yard, attending the middle school dance, sitting in a hospital, walking hand and hand down the halls of Beacon Hills High on their first day of freshman year, sitting in the nurse's office while they waited for Erica's mom to come get her, eating lunch beneath the large tree on campus, Melanie smiling up at Erica as she clung to the side of the pool after winning a state championship race, red rings around her eyes where her goggles used to sit, Erica cheering Melanie on as she dominated the lacrosse field, walking hand-in-hand into the Winter Formal, officially dating, their first kiss, their first time, drive-in dates, mall dates, studying in the flower shop, late-night diners with Boyd and Isaac at Ruby's, driving around town aimlessly, their last kiss in the locker room before the state game, before Erica and Boyd left…

A bump. Erica lifted her head. She'd heard it, a small thump somewhere in her mind. Or…a heartbeat? Erica's brown eyes locked with blue and a small gasp left her chest. The smile on Melanie's face got wider.

"Of course I came back for you," she mumbled, her lips barely moving but Erica caught the words.

"_Mellie!_" A smile burst forth on Erica's face and she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Melanie's mouth. It was quick but, god, did it move the earth for her.

"Are you okay?" Melanie asked. Erica noticed the way she spoke, like struggling to recall the words that sat on her tongue, rolling around in her mouth like marbles.

"Yeah, yeah, I am now," Erica replied. She stroked Melanie's hair, wiping out the bits of blood and dust that clung to her. "I am now."

"Okay. Good." Melanie's chest swelled and then eased as she released a heavy breath. More blood pumped out against Erica's hand, slower this time. "That's good."

Erica swallowed. "We'll get you out of here, okay? Derek…and the others. I heard them. Scott and Allison."

Eyes crinkling in the corners, Melanie's lids closed in a slow blink. Erica waited for them to open again before breathing normally. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"You're going to be okay too."

"I already am." Melanie's hand turned upwards, grasping Erica's. Erica felt her squeeze; gone was the strong, assured grasp and in its place was a weak twitch. "You're here."

"Of course I'm here. I'll always be here."

"Me too."

The words, so simple, hit Erica right in the chest. What was once blunt and reassuring now struck like a well-aimed barb, piercing her. She tightened her grip on Melanie's hand. "You…you must be in pain. Let me…" She screwed up her face, held her breath, concentrated on taking away the pain but nothing happened. Erica let go of her breath, sucked it in again, and tried to see the black lines lifting up her veins. But nothing.

Peace slammed into her, now like a rogue wave, washing over her. All panic and worry left her. She looked at Melanie again. Her eyes, once so blue, now glowed purple. A faint ghost light rather than their stunning brilliance.

"Mellie—_stop!_"

"I'm okay," Melanie replied, soft words squeezing through gritted teeth.

"No you're not! I can't… I can't help you! _You have to let me!_"

"No." Melanie's head flopped backwards as the purple faded and she let out a staggering breath. Sweat dotted her skin and her head lolled from side to side. "_You_ have to keep going." Her breaths and words were ragged now, faint.

Erica shook her head. Tears dripped down her cheeks, crashing against the floor in magnified plops. _No, no, no!_ "Mellie—"

"You're safe. I'm good. _Keep going._"

Melanie's smile returned for a second, so tender, caught between the spaces of a blink. Her eyes dimmed, eyelids closing like a curtain, and her grip eased.

Surging forward, Erica kissed her again, lips sliding clumsily against Melanie's as she pleaded, "No. No, stay awake—" Only to be cut off when a breath ghosted across her lips.

Erica pulled away, lips peeling apart. She buried her face in Melanie's neck, tears clinging to her eyelashes as she waited for a pulse. And waited, and waited, and waited.

The wave pulled away from the shore.


End file.
